Snap-in j socket



Sept. 14, 1965 R. E- FlTZ GERALD SNAP-IN J SOCKET Filed NOV. 26, 1962Fig Th 1 l a I 62 lll 6 Invenior. R0602? E. F3121 Gerald,

flii

0 8 4 a a a m 0 1 JIM. w m T; ,1 M a w a 4 F a 2 6 3 w o m /4 6 /l\ 4fi\ bvw 7-5M C? w 8 0 84 a 3 44 United States Patent" C v 3,206,708 VSNAP-IN J SOCKET Robert E. Fitz Gerald, Quincy, Mass., assignor toUnited- Carr Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 26,1962, Ser. No. 239,934

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-45) This invention relates generally to lamp socketsand more particularly to lamp sockets providing a snap engagementbetween the socket and the lamp to be utilized therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket having conductivemeans for snap engagement with a bulb or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket providinga rotary disengagement of the bulb from the socket.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, inpart, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the socket;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the socket shown in FIG. 1 engaged with abulb;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a conductor;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a conductive connector;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a spring conductive connector;

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of FIG. 1 with bulb dotted in andengaged; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 with bulb disengaged.

Referring to the drawing there is illustrated a lamp socket assemblycomprising an insulating body 10, a conductor element 12, a conductiveconnector 14 and a spring conductive connector 16.

In the illustrated embodiment the insulating body is provided with acentral aperture opening to the forward end thereof for receiving thebase 22 of a bulb 24. The walls of the aperture are provided with threeconductor receiving channels which comprise a pair of slots 26 and aspring slot 28 extending longitudinally from the open end of the bodyportion. The slots 26 are disposed on opposite sides of the wall of thecentral aperture 20 and extend longitudinally approximately threequarters of the height of the insulating body 10. It is not absolutelynecessary that .a pair of slots be provided since a single conductiveconnector 14 may be utilized and in that case one of the slots 26 may bedispensed with. The spring slot 28 is also formed in the wall of thecentral aperture 20 extending from the open end of the insulating body10 down to the bottom of the central aperture 20. A flange 30 is formedon the external surface of the insulating body 10 a fixed distance fromthe open end of the insulating body 10 having two notches 32 formedtherein which are formed in spaced relation to each other on oppositesides of the body 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The insulating body 10comprises a base portion 34 and an upstanding wall 36 which, of course,is the wall of the central aperture 20 mentioned heretofore. A pair oframp elements 38, of a wedge shape, are formed in close proximity to thenotches 32 on the flange 30. Extending above the plane of the end of theinsulating body 10 at which the central aperture 20 commences are a pairof extensions 40. The extensions 40 have a pair of projections 42 whichextend away from the axis of the insulating body 10 above the .area ofthe notches 32 formed in the flange 30. The projections 42 have anarcuate surface 44 which is directed toward the plane of the flange 30.

The conductor element 12 comprises a flat base ele- 3,266,708 PatentedSept. 14, 1965 ment 46 in the form of a rectangle having two of itsedges turned upward in 90 degree integral relationship with the baseelement 46 to form a pair of engagement sides 48 and a leg portion 50formed from one of the two remaining sides and bent down to lie betweenthe two planes of the engagement sides 48. The leg portion 50 has a freeterminal end which is arced slightly for engagement with a stud 52 ofthe bulb 24.

The conductive connector 14 comprises a support portion 54 having theconfiguration of a rectangle and having having its two long side edgesbent up to provide support sides 56 and having an end extension or arm58 which is bent down to overlie in spaced relation a portion of thesupport portion 54. The arm 58 has a free terminal end arced to engageone of the studs 52 and its remaining portion is in integralrelationship with a second arm 60 extending away from the supportportion 54 in a direction opposite to that of the arm 58. The second arm60 is in right angle relationship to the support portion 54 and extendson the plane at right angles to the support portion 54 beyond the sidesof the support portion 54. The second arm 60 has a free terminal endwhich has a projection 62 for use to be described hereinafter.

The spring conductive connector 16 comprises a flat support element 64having the configuration of a rectangle and having its two longer sidesbent upward to provide sides 66. A flexible contact extension 68 isformed integral with one of the short sides of the support element 64and is in angular relation in a direction opposite to that toward whichthe sides 66 are directed. A spring extension is formed from the othershort side of the support element 64 from that of the side on which thecontact extension 68 is formed. The spring extension 70 comprises aportion which lies on the same plane as the support element 64 and isbent in angular relationship thereto in the same general direction asthe sides 66 and having a contact end 72 bent back toward the plane ofthe support element 64 as shown in FIG. 7.

One of the notches or slots 26 which lies closest to the spring slot 28is utilized to hold the conductor element 12. In the embodiment shown inthe drawings the upstanding wall 36 internally overhangs the slot 26 onboth sides to provide a pair of channels. The conductor element 12 isthen passed into the slot 26 with its engagement sides 48 bearing ontheir edges against the overhangs to securely hold the conductor element12 in position. Wedge shaped slots may be formed in the engagement sides48 to provide sharp corners which engage the overhangs. 'In thisposition, the leg portion 50 extends into the area circumscribed by theupstanding wall 36 with its free terminal end directed toward the baseportion 34. The leg portion 50 usually has a bend or angle formed in itso that the plane of the terminal end of the leg portion 50 willintersect the plane of the axis of the socket. The conductive connector14 is engaged to the other slot 26 in a manner similar to that of theengagement of the conductor element 12 with one additional factor. Inthe case of the conductive connector 14, the arm 60 and its attachingportion extend through the slot 32 formed through the upstanding wall 36so that the arm 60 may rest in superposed abutting relationship with aportion of the flange 30 as shown in FIG. 1 and with the projection 62of the arm 60 directed away from the plane of the base portion 34. Thespring conductive connector 16 is engaged with the spring slot 28 in amanner similar to the conductive connector 14 and with a portion of thespring extension 70 resting in superposed abutting relationship on thebase portion 34 as best shown in FIG. 2.

To engage a bulb 24 having a studded base to the socket the studs 52 arepassed into the slots 26 and against the arm 50 of the conductor element12 and the support leg 58 of the conductive connector 14. Axial pressureis exerted pressing the leg portion 50 and the support leg '58 towardthe upstanding wall 36 until the two studs snap under the terminal endsof the appropriate leg portion 50 and support leg 58. At the same timethe base 22 of the bulb 24 bears against the contact end 72 of thespring conductive connector 16. The distance between the plane of thecontact end 72 under tension and the plane formed by the terminal endsof the leg portion 50 and the support leg 58 are such that the contactend 72 engages the studs against the mentioned terminal ends.

The disengagement of the bulb from the socket is accomplished by turningthe bulb, according to the embodi-v ment in a counter-clockwisedirection while exerting slight pressure on the bulb axially. In theillustrated embodiment the arc of the support leg 58 of the conductiveconnector 14 faces in a clockwise direction while the arc of the legportion 50 of the conductor element 12 also faces in a clockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 1. Grooves 74 are formed on the innersurface of the upstanding wall 36 adjacent to the slots 26 so that ondisengagement of the studs 52 from the leg portion 50 and the supportleg 58 the studs will slip into the grooves 74 and keep withdrawn fromthe socket. This presupposes that the diameter of the inner surface ofthe socket is slightly less than the diameter of the bulb taken on theterminal ends of the studs 52.

Although the arc of the terminal ends of the support leg 58 and legportion 50 increases the efficiency of the socket, the terminal endscould be squared off and still operate efiiciently.

While there has been illustrated and described one preferred embodimentof the invention, it should be understood that the invention is bestdefined by the following claim.

I claim:

The combination of an electrical socket and an electrical bulb, saidbulb having a base and a pair of studs extending therefrom in rightangle relation to said base and spaced from each other, and said socketcomprising an insulating housing having a wall providing a cavity forreceiving said base, a pair of separate conductor members and aconductive connector assembled with said body within said cavity, eachof said conductor members having a base portion and a resilient legportion spaced along its length from said base portion, and extendinggenerally axially inwardly of said housing, each of said leg portionshaving a free terminal end spaced apart a distance less than thedistance between the outward ends of said bulb studs, each of said baseportions of said conductor members being secured to the wall of saidsocket and being spaced from each other, each of said terminal endsbeing defined by an arcuate stud-retaining edge, said edges being shapedto permit rotation of said bulb in one direction, and means includingsaid resilient leg portions guiding said bulb into an inserted positioninto engagement with said conductive connector, which thereby exerts aspring force against said bulb, and whereby said bulb is released fromengagement by rotating same from said arcuate stud-retaining edge freeof said means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,451,122 4/23Stahl 339176 X 1,520,473 12/24 Kleckner 339-188 X 2,071,769 2/37Schlicker et al 339199 2,596,887 5/52 Brundage 33945 2,825,038 2/58Woofter 339-17 2,892, l78 6/59 Ha-rrits 339'221 2,910,554 10/59 Lessler33945 X FOREIGN PATENTS 3,809 1896 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

